1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an external hard drive enclosure and, more particularly, to an open external hard drive enclosure for users to conveniently replace a hard drive inserted therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, a conventional external hard drive enclosure has a case 40 and a bridge device 50.
The case 40 is rectangular and hollow and has a front opening 41 and two screw holes 42. The front opening 41 is formed through a front side of the case 40. The two screw holes 42 are formed through two other opposite sides of the case 40.
The bridge device 50 has a control panel 51, a bracket 52 and a circuit board 53. The control panel 51 and the circuit board 53 are securely mounted on a side of the bracket 52 corresponding to the front opening 41 of the case 40. The circuit board 53 has a hard drive port 511, a computer port 21 and a power input port 22. The computer port 21 and the power input port 22 are exposedly formed on a side of the control panel 51 facing outside. The hard drive port 511 is formed on the side of the bracket 52 corresponding to the front opening 41 of the case 40. The bracket 52 is mounted in the case 40 through the front opening 41 of the case 40. Two screws 54 penetrate through the two screw holes 42 on the two opposite sides of the case 40 to inwardly screw the bracket 52 so as to fasten the bracket 52 inside the case 40.
With reference to FIG. 9, a hard drive 60 is mounted in the bracket 52, plugged in the hard drive port 511 and fixed on the bracket 52. The bracket 52 is inserted in the case 40 through the front opening 41 so that the control panel 51 is covered on the front opening 41 of the case 40. The two screws 54 then screw the bracket 52 respectively through the two screw holes 42 of the case 40 so that the bracket 52 are fastened with the case 40. If intending to remove and replace the hard drive 60, the two screws 54 must be unscrewed first. After the bridge device 50 is pulled out from the front opening 41 of the case 40, the hard drive 60 is unplugged from the hard drive port 511. A different hard drive 60 can be mounted again by repeating the foregoing assembling procedures.
Although the conventional external hard drive enclosure serves to externally connect with a computer, it is inconvenient to replace the hard drive in the conventional external hard drive enclosure. Besides, the case and the rectangular bracket may not be compatible with a hard drive to be replaced with and having a different size. For example, an external hard drive enclosure for a 3.5″ hard drive is not compatible with a 2.5″ hard drive, and vice versa.